from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Materia medica \Ma*te"ri*a med"i*ca\ [L. See {Matter}, and
{Medical}.]
1. Material or substance used in the composition of remedies;
-- a general term for all substances used as curative
agents in medicine.
[1913 Webster]
2. That branch of medical science which treats of the
sources, nature and properties of all the substances that
are employed for the cure of diseases, primarily with
natural preparations, rather than pure or synthetic
medicines; pharmacognosy.
[1913 Webster +PJC]